You are here:Home»New US Visa fee to be introduced for British Nationals

New US Visa fee to be introduced for British Nationals

The United States Department of Homeland Security has announced that British travelers will be charged a fee related to the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA. As of the 9th of September, British visitors will have to pay US$14 to apply to ESTA. This fee is used to promote tourism to the United States as well as to cover processing fees. While the application can take as many as 72 hours to be approved, the online system usually hands out approvals within minutes.

The ESTA visa is a web-based program that allows the United States government to review applications before the person boards a plane headed for the United States. Approval must be given to the person at least three days before they leave, and is mandatory for all countries that are listed under the Visa Waiver Program. An ESTA approval allows visitors to come to the United States, but is not a visa itself and does not guarantee a person will be able to enter. ESTA approvals are valid for two years and for multiple entries into the United States, but each trip can only be 90 days long in duration. There is no minimum requirement for time between trips.

Even though most ESTA approvals last two years, visitors to the United States must get a new ESTA approval if they have gotten a new passport, have changed their name or gender, changed their country of citizenship or have been convicted of a crime or developed a contagious disease.

Because an improperly filled out or erroneous ESTA application can result in a traveler not being able to travel to the United States and can severely impact travel plans, it’s make sure your documents are in complete order before making the trip.

Any information provided here does not constitute legal advice and is intended for general information only. Should you require legal advise, you are encouraged to contact a lawyer directly. All blog postings are public and are not subject to solicitor/client confidentially. Case results depend on a variety of factors unique to each case, and case results do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any further case undertaken by the lawyer.

Niren & Associates Immigration Lawyers

"This firm was extremely helpful in my visa application process. The lawyer that was assigned to me was very professional, experienced and friendly. I had an emergency case and I have had a lot of deadlines for both Canadian and US visa applications..."